Top Rank founder Bob Arum has never been one to keep his opinions to himself, and when FanHouse caught up with him at the Manny Pacquiao-Miguel Cotto press conference at Yankee Stadium on Thursday, he was in rare form.The 77-year-old boxing promoter criticized Floyd Mayweather for fighting "scared" and not being an entertaining fighter. Arum also seemed to squash any hopes of seeing a Mayweather-Pacquaio super-fight in the future. But his harshest words were saved for MMA, as Arum said the sport looks like "guys rolling around like homosexuals on the ground" and called MMA fans "a bunch of skinhead white guys." The full video interview is below.
Comments (Page 1 of 10)
Wow, the comments here sort of take your breath away. Kudos to Ariel for a great interview, you pulled out interesting information. When it comes to the topics covered I think we learned more about Bob Arum than we did about Boxing or MMA. Look at Dana White's recent comments and you see a bit of a pattern developing. Why all the venom, hatred, stereotyping and, in Arum's case, homophobia? Arum and Don King continue to ruin boxing, hopefully Dana will not follow suit.
Bob Arum, for once, was dead right. Comparing MMA to boxing is like comparing chesckers to chess.MMA is for white-trash hillbillies, boxing is the sweet science. Truth hurts, MMA fans !
I'm laughing because most people would agree with Arum. He's lucky, he got to say it in public and have it spread across the globe. Its funny how people who disagree with homosexuality are always "homophobes". Truth is, homos are heterophobic. They are afraid of heterosexuality so they retreat to a place that's sexually dysfunctional, but safe for them.
Arum want's to get paid
He's exactly right. Two half-naked guys rolling on the floor for minutes trying to grab each others crotch. I just don't get it. People who find this entertaining, somethings wrong with them.
It's called wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu. Guess you think Olympic wrestling is "crotch grabbing" too? Stupid
There is no intentional "crotch grabbing" in MMA. The ground game associated with MMA is highly technical, much more so than the common fan truly understands. If you feel it is homoerotic, then there's something wrong with you, not the sport. Sorry, to say it but the sweet science of boxing is on the way out and MMA is taking it's place....Arum and other closed minded boxing fans can't accept that and attack a sport they don't even understand.
I guess that it is different than two men in silk shorts standing in a ring hugging each other for three minutes at a time refusing to hit each other. At least in MMA you get to see some action.
Boxing is one of the most boring sports in the world. If you don't get MMA it's because your head is too far up your own butt.
As opposed to watching a fighter bite a guys ear off? Boxing has been dying a slow death for years. The following is no longer there. Most people don't know who the world heavyweight champ is in boxing. If you think MMA is just a bunch of guys rolling around "grabbing each others crotches" you have never seen a fight. There are no "fixed" fights in MMA, unlike boxing. Get real or get lost.
Is college wrestling "gay?" His argument is ridiculous and is really the frustration of someone seeing their interests being left behind by the public. Boxing is way too corrupt and way too unfocused. Too many bodies and belts and that's what is really crippling it.
BTW, both sports are brutal, so boxing trying to assert itself as the game for the cultured gentleman is laughable. I'm not sure I understand the logic that just punching someone's head off is scientific and strategic, but add wrestling makes it become trashy.
phantom898d said...
Boxing is one of the most boring sports in the world. If you don't get MMA it's because your head is too far up your own butt.>>>>>>No, it`s because I haven`t done enough meth.
He is right about mayweather.He only fights hand picked fighters.The stuff about MMA could not be further from the truth.The old men of boxing are pissed no one cares about boxing anymore.
REASONS BOXING IS DEAD
1.NO marketable heayweights
2.The most marketable is Floyd Mayweather and he is scared to lose.
3.To much corruption in judging,promoters,and everything else
The only people i know who watch boxing are 70 years old.I go to buffalo wild wings for every UFC event and its packed.The people who say its gay dont know what their talking about.
I know people of all ages that watch and buy pay-per-view boxing. They are from their teens thru their 60's or so. Boxing fans come in all ages. At 22, I think it is awesome.
Golden Boy Productions put on the best fights. You know Oscar will be fair and honest.
I do miss the great heavyweights though.
MMA has a place in sports and it is well run. I do believe their fans are from the wrestling arena. MMA is just real where as wrestling was just intertainment.
Their is room for all of them.
Bob Arum is old news....he's an old time CORRUPT boxing promoter a la Don King...only King is honest about it...knows what he is and what he does. Arum poses and postures and is a dishonest POS attorney. Lets have him pick his best fighter at 170# or 185# or 205# and put him in with the MMA champion at that weight. Then we'll see who is "rolling on the ground like a homosexual." ARUM....STFU.
wow! arum's idiot rant won't see the light o day.but if he called mma a bunch of gangsta black guys he'd be a racist!
btw mma fighter skills pale to those of boxers.
people should really learn about a subject before talking. Some fighters are just brutes and others are highly skilled.In MMA if you have no ground game you better be brock leznar and out weigh and bully your way thru fighters, even tho it will not last. When you look at Georges Saint Pierre if you dont see technique and skills its because you have no clue. Same as boxing if you dont see skills in muhamed Ali then you re an idiot and even Mayweather achieves something very little human beings can do. Being in a small space with skilled boxer trying to hit you and missing for 45 mns is impossible to do!
The only one that who comes clean from this is Floyd Maywether.
Why don't these washed up promoters shut up. The only thing they promote is their ignorance!